The Standard of California, on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations
throughout the West, invite you to let George do it.
Another adventure of George Valentine.
Personal notice, danger is my stock and trade.
If you feel that you're one against the world and the help you need must be discreet and
confidential call on me, George Valentine.
Make full details.
Dear Mr. Valentine, in this whole world there's only one person I care about, my 12 year old
daughter Penny.
This Friday I lose her, unless I can make her change her mind about me.
You may be the one person who believes my side of the story instead of the juicy tabloid
version everyone else chooses to believe.
If this appeals to your let's say chivalrous side, I'll be home all day tomorrow.
19 Montclair Drive, Lakeside Heights.
Signed Barbara Ebbersole.
Barbara Ebbersole, what do you know?
What do you know?
Barbara Lawson Ebbersole.
All right, so she has a maiden name.
You know I flunked medieval history in college because of this gal.
You mean she wouldn't let you copy from her paper?
Nothing as intimate as that, angel.
You see she was in a musical comedy and had stayed in town for six weeks.
Uh huh.
Matinees Tuesday and Thursday, 2.30, same time as my class in medieval history.
Yeah, I know, you had a conflict.
On my history exam they asked me who sank the Spanish Armada and the only name I could
think of was Barbara Lawson, the most beautiful girl in the world.
They're close to posted.
And I thought you worked your way through college.
Yeah, except on those Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Bruxy, we're going to drop in on Barbara Ebbersole, if just for all things on.
Pardon me, young lady.
Yes?
The maid showed us in.
We're looking for Mrs. Ebbersole.
She's my mother.
She's upstairs, but she's probably listening to see if I'm practicing my piano lesson.
Oh, so you're Penny.
You know something.
What's that, dear?
I could play like this.
Well, that's a great improvement on what we heard when we came in.
That's the way she liked to hear me play.
When she's in the house, I play like this.
You're a real nice kid.
I think so.
Oh, Mr. Valentine?
Oh yes, Mrs. Ebbersole, and this is Miss Brooks, my assistant.
How do you do, Miss Brooks?
Are these people here to take your pictures for the tabloids again?
Penny.
I'm sorry.
I shouldn't have said that.
I hate myself.
I don't know if it's any use at all, Mr. Valentine.
Even if the courts let me keep Penny, I can't make her love me.
What is it that's so wrong between you and Penny, Mrs. Ebbersole?
Her father.
Her wonderful, irreproachable father who drove his car off the cliff a year ago.
Oh, I didn't know.
I'm sorry.
Why should you be?
No one else ever was.
I was the lucky one to have such a charming, attentive husband.
Even his own child never suspected he was mean, cruel, and deceitful.
No.
That irresistible boy, Smile, took care of everything like that.
I see.
The last few months before he died, I started going out every night just to get away from
him and his indifference to whether I was dead or alive.
Of course, everybody was saying, how can she do that to Jerry?
Poor charming Jerry.
Oh, you said your husband drove his car off a cliff.
Somehow he doesn't sound the type.
I'll never forget that night.
We had the most bitter quarrel we ever had, and he stormed out of the house.
Yes?
Penny overheard us.
Ever since, she's blamed me for what happened.
Well, what's this about losing her on Friday?
When Jerry died, his mother was determined to take Penny away from me.
She almost did because Penny said she wanted to leave me.
But the judge decided to put me on a sort of parole.
One misstep, and I lose my child because I'm an unfit mother.
Uh-huh.
Now I think I get it.
That business about tabloids, that was the picture of you in the papers when you were
brought up on a traffic charge.
You don't have to be so charitable, Mr. Valentine.
They called it drunk driving.
But I tell you, I was framed.
Framed?
I had dinner with Dan Edwards.
I swear I had nothing stronger than coffee.
Next thing I knew, I was alone in my car on the side of the road, and there was the policeman.
Who is this Dan Edwards?
I met him a short time ago.
It was fun.
We went out a few times, and then, well, this thing happened.
Well, certainly, this Mr. Edwards can explain you weren't drinking, that you were ill or
something.
Seems the little gentleman can't tell a lie.
His version is that I had a little too much, created a scene in the parking lot at Club
44 and drove off without him.
And you want me to prove it was a frame, is that right?
I don't know how you're going to do it, but you must.
Before Friday.
Penny's all I got.
I can't lose her.
She'd go on thinking of me as a...
Oh, Mr. Valentine.
Oh, no, Mrs. Episode Don.
Two days isn't an awful lot of time, Mrs. Ebersole, but I'll do my best.
I won't be hypocritical, Mr. Valentine, Miss Brooks.
I'm glad this thing happened to Barbara.
Mrs. Ebersole, isn't that a pretty harsh thing to say about your daughter-in-law?
I told Jerry he should never have married a girl like that.
No, Mother, Barbara was Jerry's wife.
And you're his brother, Leonard.
You should be glad we're getting Penny away from this woman on Friday.
Oh, we've heard so much about your son, Jerry.
Yes.
When Jerry walked into a room, the other men there stopped existing.
You could tell that just by looking into the eyes of every woman.
Yet he was kind and gentle.
And when he smiled...
Yes, we've heard all about that smile.
I can understand your skepticism, Miss Brooks, but Mother's quite right.
My younger brother was admittedly perfect.
Mrs. Ebersole, I just often to tell you I'm playing on Barbara's team.
Young man, you're wasting your time.
There's no other explanation for what happened to Barbara that night.
Except the obvious one you'll find on the police blotter.
I'm afraid, Mr. Ballentine, my sister-in-law hired you to make her story sound a little
more plausible.
Could be.
I'm going to have that child if it's the last thing I do.
And I'm going to see that Barbara gets an even break if it's the last thing I do.
Come on, Brooksie.
Yes, George.
Hey, look, Brooksie.
How would you like to go to Club 44 tonight?
I can recommend the food and the music's not too bad.
Oh, I'd love it, darling.
Tom, you picked me up.
You're going to be there alone.
Alone?
Well, not exactly.
If I've got the right slant on this thing, you'll be with Dan Edwards most of the evening.
Dan Edwards?
Uh-huh.
I'll be waiting at Barbara's for your call.
Well, what am I supposed to do?
Mostly be a beautiful self, Brooksie.
But to be more specific, here's the deal.
Oh, I declare, Mr. Edwards, I'm just dreadful.
I mean, being here alone in a nightclub in a big city with a strange man.
Not a strange man, Claire.
Just a lonely man.
When Edwanda, the head waiter, told me that you were here all alone, I couldn't resist
coming over to your table and introducing myself.
And I wouldn't have it any different, Mr. Edwards.
It's Dan.
Yes, Dan.
Oh, I wonder what Daddy would say if he could see me now.
Daddy?
He's always saying, Claire, honey, people with our position and money have to be mighty
careful whom they meet.
Oh, and he's so right.
Would you believe it?
I slipped out of the hotel after Daddy and Mother went to bed.
Aren't I just awful?
Let's compromise and say you're the sweetest thing that ever walked into my life.
Oh, Daniel.
And I'm going to find out a lot about you.
What your daddy does, that great big house you must live in.
Yes, Dan.
And I'm going to find out a lot about you, too.
Not just practicing tonight, eh, Penny?
Oh, Mr. Valentine.
Anyway she can't hear me.
She's in her room and the door is closed.
Uh, Penny, you love to play the piano, don't you?
Yes, well, I'm alone.
Well, tell me something, pie face.
Who started you taking piano lessons?
She did and made me practice every day whether I wanted to or not.
Now you love to play, but not when she can hear it.
Now that's kind of cock-eyed, isn't it, kid?
Well, I don't have to talk to you.
I'm going up to bed.
Where's my book?
Oh, that's it?
Yes, let me have it.
Yearbook, Denfield College, 1933.
Yes, my father's picture is in there.
I'll show you what they say about him.
Here, doesn't he have a wonderful smile?
Listen, Ebersole, Jerry, most popular man on the campus, captain, water polo team, most
likely to succeed.
Yeah, that's all right.
None of the others had things like that written about him.
Look at the very next one under father's picture.
Eggleston, Frank, campus clown, good old Eggy.
See what I mean?
Eggy the clown.
Oh, it's good to hear you laugh, dear.
Oh, I was just going up to bed.
Tammy, wait.
Good night.
Never mind.
Did you find out anything, Mr. Valentine?
No, no, but I did want to know a little more about this Stan Edwards.
Well, he introduced himself and said he was a friend of Jerry's at Denfield College.
Yeah?
He told me about the time just before he and Jerry were supposed to graduate.
Jerry stole the plapper out of the chapel bell.
Oh.
Leonard had to square things with the dean and make sure his mother never found out.
I see.
Mr. Valentine, there was nothing wrong with my going out with Dan.
For a year, I kept myself cooped up in this house trying to be the perfect mother, always
remembering Judge Blanchard saying, one misstep, Mrs. Ebersole, and Penny goes to her grandmother.
And having dinner with Dan once in a while sort of helped take the pressure off her.
That's right.
I can't think of any reason Dan would lie about what happened that night.
But what did you find out about him?
Not much, Mrs. Ebersole, not much.
But I have an idea that even at this distance, I'm learning more and more about Dan Edwards
every minute.
Well, tell me Claire, what would it take to impress your daddy?
Well, like I keep saying, Daniel, he judges everybody by the substantial people they know.
Well, I know some pretty important people in this town.
You do?
Yes.
You can provide them on their investments, help them spend their money.
Here, just look at this check.
Oh my goodness, $5,000.
Agnes Ebersole.
I'm afraid the name wouldn't mean anything to daddy.
Oh, Mrs. Ebersole.
Her family stands for just about everything in this town.
I didn't know you were so clever, Daniel.
Oh dear.
I've made up my mind.
I'm going to call the hotel and tell daddy I'm right here, Club 44, with a very respectable
gentleman.
He'll be proud to meet me.
Oh, thank you.
Now you stay where you are, honey.
I'll be right back.
I got here as soon as I could, Brooksie.
Edwards inside?
Yes, daddy.
And I just bet Mr. Dan is getting awful fidgety in there.
All right, all right.
You sure about that check?
Yeah, I saw the signature.
Agnes Ebersole.
Oh good, that's a break I didn't even hope for.
Now go on back inside.
Well, what are you going to do, George?
Oh, that's the surprise, Angel.
The question is, who is it going to surprise most?
Dan Edwards, Mrs. Ebersole, or Barbara?
We'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine in just a moment.
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And now back to tonight's adventure of George Valentine.
Under what circumstances would you say a mother deserves to lose custody of her child?
Well, Barbara Ebersole, ex-chorus girl, is almost certain to be declared an unfit mother
unless George proves that Barbara's recent front page escapade was a frame up.
At Club 44 now, George makes his way toward the table where Claire is sitting with Dan
Edwards, the man who seems to be the key to the whole problem.
Hello, beautiful.
I beg your pardon.
Oh, and I don't say you don't know me just because it happens to be true.
Now wait a minute, friend.
Friend?
Okay, prove it.
Introduce me to the lady.
Just you pay him no heed, Daniel, honey.
Aha, a bell from Brooklyn.
Mind if I sit down?
Look, we don't know you, miss, and are on your way.
Please, Daniel, not here.
What would daddy say if he found out I was involved in a fight?
Well, the lady's absolutely right, sir, but I'll be glad to give you satisfaction out
in the alley.
Okay, smart guy, come on.
Don't you hurt him too much now, Daniel, honey.
Don't you think you'd better give me the name of your nearest kin so I can notify him?
Okay, brother, how do we begin?
You want to knock the chip off my shoulder or do I just poke you in the nose?
Stop the kid stuff.
I've got a proposition to make.
Now what are you talking about?
I'm working up a business deal with a young lady in there.
I've got to impress her.
Now why don't you say you take this 10 bucks and have yourself a time somewhere else?
Forget the whole thing.
Oh, come on, boy, let's play rough.
You're a big husky lad.
Let's see if you can take care of yourself.
Okay, I gave you your chance.
Now, oh, what an opening.
Hey, what do I have to do to make you sit down?
I'll teach you to have to go around waving checks in front of young ladies.
Now where is it?
Here we are, $5,000.
Mrs. Agnes Ebersole, paid at Dan Edwards.
Well, I wonder how she's going to explain this little payment.
Yeah, hello?
George, what happened to you?
I've been calling your apartment for an hour.
I know, Angel just came in.
I went out to see old Mrs. Ebersole.
Oh, then you got the check.
What did she say?
Nothing, because she wouldn't see me.
Oh.
But maybe it's just as well.
She can explain it to the judge tomorrow.
The scene in the office, nice and early.
Oh, and, Brooksie.
Yeah?
Just wanted to say you did a smooth job with Edwards.
Thanks.
Oh, it wasn't nothing, honey.
Good night, chick-a-char.
Not as smooth as you thought, Valentine.
Now what?
How'd you get in my room, Edwards?
I've been waiting for you to show up.
Oh, maybe I underrated you, boy.
You're quite a grim character when you're holding a gun.
I could just ask you to hand over that check, but I'm going to be very busy.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
It's a hard way to.
I'm sorry.
good grandma to the rescue we never prosecuted him I do hope there won't be
any publicity at this late date the firm of done that can get it is very
conservative how much was it a shortage of twenty thousand dollars in his
accounts I've always thought poor Jerry began to lower himself so much he just
couldn't go on anymore that was the real reason for his suicide you're a good
psychologist mr. Dunlap thanks a lot.
Brooksie I've made up my mind I'm gonna tell both Barbara and the kid the truth
about ever so where are they upstairs getting ready to leave for Judge Blanchard
that's right we don't have much time George we usually see eye to eye about
things but I think you're wrong this time Penny's a sensitive unpredictable child
you don't know what a thing like this might do to her well it may just jar
enough to realize what she owes him or it may have the very opposite of all
right so it's taking a chance okay but look Brooksie Peggy is young with a
whole life ahead of her to get over any kind of shock what does Barbara have
left if they take a daughter away from her well no no I'm gonna tell them both
what the score is before we meet the judge and I'll need your help just the
way we worked it out
Barbara we still have a few minutes the courthouse is only across the street
yes well there's something I must tell you what's that mr. Valentine suppose
we're going to this little part of the now
and he wouldn't even walk down here with me she insisted on walking with miss
Brooks a half a block behind us what chance do I have let's wait and see
those chimes from the tower the beautiful yes what did you want to say
mr. Valentine I'd like to see the judge and get this over with please Barbara
those chimes they make me feel like praying in such a long time since I've
prayed this is only one thing I want what I've got to say can wait Barbara why
don't we both just sit here and listen to the chimes dear Lord if I can't have
any let it be happy wherever she is and and if the only thing that will really
make her happy to forget that I was ever her mother
let it be that way too
Barbara this is what I want to tell you I found out today why Jerry killed himself
what he stole $20,000 from Dunlap and Garrett oh no the truth and his mother
covered for him just as she did every other time he got into trouble
I don't believe it you're lying both of you. Penny what's she doing here I didn't know she was. I'll never believe that about my father never. Please Penny wait wait.
Oh mr. Valentine. I'm sorry I thought if Claire brought Penny here. Well whatever
slight chance I had is gone but it doesn't matter that Blanchard's already
made up his mind let's go and get the formalities over with.
Penny come here dear. Yes Judge Blanchard. The last time we were together about a year ago I
had to make the decision about you and your mother now it's up to you. I know.
Don't be frightened Penny tell the judge how you feel. Yes grandma. There's nothing I'd
like to say Judge Blanchard. Please mr. Valentine what else is there to say you
can see the nervous state of this child and it'd be a crime to let her stay with
her mother. Let Penny go on mr. Valentine. Okay I'm not through. Take it easy darling.
Penny you're a sensible little girl and you're old enough to know whom you'd
like to live with. Well. Well I. Don't be afraid to talk to the judge Penny. I. I
would like to. Go on. I want to go home and live with my mother. Oh mother mother.
Penny my baby. I heard what you said when you were over there in the park. But it
would be better if I forgot all about you. It would make me happy. Now hush darling.
That doesn't matter now. I kept thinking about it and somehow I know what mr.
Valentine said about father is true. Oh mother. Mother. It's been a whole year since you've
called me that. Judge Blanchard I don't know what came over Penny but certainly we
can't forgive this woman's scandalous behavior. Don't you dare talk about my
mother that way. Penny what are you saying. Couldn't we go home now together mommy.
Judge. I think you can decide the way your heart's telling you to Judge Blanchard
and if we can have a few minutes alone I think we'll even be able to satisfy the
law.
Yes Judge Blanchard Leonard hired Dan Edwards to have Barbara conveniently
drugged that night. What would be Leonard Eversole's reason for doing anything like
that. Well the old girl was prepared to leave her entire fortune to Penny if she
could get her legal custody. Leonard wanted to be in the position to administer
the estate. After all Penny doesn't come of age for nine years. What about this
check to Dan Edwards you said it was signed by Mrs. Eversole. Some fancy black
male Judge. When Edwards was through with Leonard he started on his mother. The
episode. It's hard to believe. George how did you suspect Leonard. Edwards never
graduated from Denfield with Jerry. In the college year book it was Eversole
and then Eggleston. No Edwards. Then who could have told Edwards about that
little escapade Jerry had in his senior year. The one with the chapel bell. That was
all hushed up. The mother never knew about it. It had to be Leonard. Pretty good
work Valentine. You know when I was district attorney I would have a job for
you. Well thanks. George may be able to return the compliment and have a job for
you someday soon Judge. I hope. Make me fine. Of course we could go to a church. Oh no.
I'll be more than glad to say the all-important words Miss Brooks. Oh wait
a minute now who's getting framed. Come on Bruxy.
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Next week when you tune our way for another adventure of George Valentine
you'll hear. George the door is locked. Wait a minute Angel put the light on.
George. They couldn't have done a better job in this room if they used a bulldozer.
Mr. Karoski. Mr. Karoski. Don't be naive Bruxy. They didn't make a rubble out of
this place just for exercise. Yeah they gave Karoski this little party and took
the guest of honor away with him. George. Oh come here look. Oh yeah blood. They
couldn't wait could they. Oh but he's such a such a little man. We're up against a
racket that thrives on little people Bruxy and we're gonna keep at it until
we find out what it is.
Tonight's adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard of
California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard
stations throughout the West. Let George Do It stars Robert Bailey as George with
Francis Robinson as Claire. Tonight's story was written by David Victor and
Herbert Little Jr. and directed by Don Clark. Also heard in the cast were
Virginia Gregg as Barbara, Don Bender as Penny, Noreen Gamil as Mrs. Ebersole,
Stan Waxman as Leonard, Jay Novello as Edwards and Herb Butterfield as Judge
Blanchard. The music is composed and conducted by Eddie Dunstetter, your
announcer John Heston. Listen again next week same time same station to Let George
Do It.
This is the Mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System.